Several Revolution – Cleveland Cavaliers connections

We’ve been in business almost two years here at BlogToBlogChamps, but we are just getting to our first ever NBA post! However, now that the Revolution have three connections to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was time to pad the post count.

Prior to the season, now former Sugar Land Skeeters Team President Matt O’Brien left that post after just one season to head up the Cavaliers corporate sales department, wrapping up several years in minor league baseball with the Kane County (IL) Cougars, West Michigan Whitecaps, Somerset Patriots, Long Island Ducks, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, York Revolution and Sugar Land. O’Brien was Revolution General Manager from the team’s founding in 2007 through the 2010 season.

Now former Revolution Vice President of Business Development Neil Fortier has joined forces with O’Brien a third time, as the Cavs Director of Corporate Partnerships. Fortier worked with O’Brien in both Myrtle Beach and York as an Assistant General Manager. He concluded his 7-year tenure with the Revolution in June to move to Cleveland.

However, the Cleveland NBA franchise is the “Cavaliers” thanks to the father of Revolution pitcher and 14-year MLB veteran Brett Tomko. Yeah, really.

Founded in 1970, Jerry Tomko’s submission of “Cavaliers” to a Cleveland Plain Dealer contest to name the team was selected out of over 11,000 entries, besting other finalists “Jays”, “Foresters” and “Presidents.” Brett Tomko was born in the eastern Cleveland suburb of Euclid, OH in 1973. According to Jerry Tomko “the name Cleveland Cavaliers represents a group of daring, fearless men whose life’s pact was never surrender, no matter what the odds.”

Good enough for me. In their inaugural season the Cavs needed that attitude, as they posted an NBA-worst 15-67 record under the direction of Head Coach Bill Fitch, who had previously been the head coach at you guessed it, Bowling Green State University.